Automobile tool



Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUToMonILE TOOL William H. Gainesil lstill Springs, Tenn. Application June 25, 194 Serial No. 679,296

This invention relates to a tool and more particularly and specifically to a tool designed for the handy mounting and demounting of wheels of the type common to automotive vehicles.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a tool to facilitate the changing of demountable wheels of the type which are commonly use on automotive vehicles of the highway.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool of the aforedescribed type which is of simple and inexpensive design.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art upon examination of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the tool with a fragmentary sectional view of a wheel positioned in conjunction with the tool.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the tool.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the tool showing the wheel locking mechanism in full line.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 5-5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

This tool comprises a main body A and two pilot cylinders, B and C, which are supported at the opposite ends of the body A in longitudinal end to end alignment and which together with A form a member whose cross-sectional configuration in a partial cylinder slightly greater than a semicircle.

The outside diameter of the two pilot cylinders, B and C, should differ so that the tool would be of greater usage value with several sized wheels.

These pilot cylinders, B and C, have rolled edges l on their under side to act as a rest and bushing to be received by the extended axle hub when piloting the wheel, whose hollow center or hub fits over the cylinders outside diameter, onto the lug bolts of the axle.

Two handles, 3 and 4, are attached, in spaced relationship, transverse to the tool body A, so the tool may be easily grasped and handled from either side of the tool.

Positioned in spaced relationship on the under side of the tool body A are two locking mechanisms, one for each pilot cylinder, comprising in a singular description a trigger 5 which, when locked, projects upwardly through aperture 6 in the pilot cylinder where it engages the inner 1 Claim. (01. 29--27s) ill;

surface D of the wheel I to be mounted or demounted, thereby locking said wheel in conjunction with the tool, and integral with trigger 5.

Trigger bar E which is pivoted on a brace F which in turn is attached to the under side of tool body A. Also attached to the under side of tool body A is a fiat spring 8, which is positioned in a manner so that it bears upwardly on the under surface of the trigger bar E so that the trigger 5 is normally held in a locked position.

Located on the upper surface of the tool body A are two trigger releasing levers, G and H, which are equally spaced in positions above the trigger bars and between the triggers and the trigger bar pivots.

These trigger releasing levers are handles, pivoted as on brace 9, with the lower exremities assuming a cam shape. This cam extends downwardly, through an aperture ID in the tool body, to bear on the upper surface of the trigger bar E in opposition to the flat spring 8.

In order to withdraw the trigger 5 from a locked position the releasing lever is pulled upwardly forcing the cam to act downward on trigger bar E overcoming the upward pressure of spring 8. In this manner the trigger bar E is forced downward through the aperture 6 to position below the surface of the pilot cylinder.

At the joints between the tool body A and the pilot cylinders, B and C, are provided raised stops, either integral with the casting or weld beads or the like, which prevent the wheel from sliding onto the tool body and against the handles.

In the operation of this tool the pilot cylinder which fits the wheel to be mounted or demounted is inserted into the hollow center of the wheel in a position so that the locking trigger engages the inner surface of the wheel.

The turned-under edge, or bushing, of the pilot cylinder, is then rested on the axle hub extension in the action of mounting and the tool is then moved inward, until the wheel has been piloted onto the wheel axle lugs. When the wheel has been secured the tool is released by means of raising the releasing levers, thus having handily mounted a wheel from the vehicle without the tedious and dirty job of wrestling with the wheel by hand. The converse of the above described operation would be true in the case of demounting a wheel.

Having thus explained and described this invention, what I claim is:

A portable wheel mounting and demouhting ed upper surface, a slot in the surface of the 10 piloting member through which said trigger is movable, said trigger being engageable with the inner surface of the wheel positioned on the tool,

and cooperating with the annular shoulder in securing the Wheel in an upright position on the tool, a lever pivotally mounted on the e10n-* gated body said lever being in engagement with the trigger for moving the trigger out of engagement with a wheel supported thereon.

WILLIAM H. GAINES.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 194,342 Egerton Aug. 21, 1877 330,748 Steinbach Nov. 17, 1885 863,737 Marler Aug. 20, 1907 1,241,192 Bruder Sept. 25, 1917 1,595,930 Sieven Aug. 10, 1926 1,766,375 Crain June 24, 1930 1,935,678 Valpey Nov. 21, 1933 2,067,442 Frisz Jan. 12, 1937 2,275,393 Myers Mar. 3, 1942 

